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"Where On the Web?" is a new series that will introduce possibly unfamiliar pages and features on the ������ website that students, faculty and staff should know about. Follow along to learn more about the advantages of using www.kent.edu.

First up in the series is the campus safety resource. This feature, created in 2017, is a quick drop-down tab on the university’s homepage that allows students to easily access important information such as police contact information, mental health services, sexual and relationship violence support services, campus security escorts and more.

These resources are just a click away. On the Kent State homepage, hovering the cursor over “campus safety” in the menu bar will reveal many links that are provided for student and employee safety.

Police Services:

Have you ever found yourself in a non-emergency situation on campus and didn’t know where to turn? Should you find yourself in this situation, campus police is there to help. 

is an anonymous messaging tool used to tell the Kent State Police about non-urgent suspicious, concerning or disruptive activity occurring on the Kent State campus. The link to this form can be found in the campus safety drop-down titled “Police-non-emergency.”

“One of the things that people want to know is how safe the university is and the services that it has in place,” said Tricia Knoles, a Kent State Police officer with an expertise in safety. “With having the tab on the homepage, all of that information is right there for students to click on and see all of the emergency planning guides and information on Flash Alerts.”

Knoles also recommends students subscribe to Flash Alerts, Kent State’s official emergency text notification system that alerts subscribers of critical information. The subscriber-only service allows students, faculty and staff to sign up to receive urgent notification on a text-enabled mobile phone or device.

Mental Health Services:

Step Up and Speak Out is a collaborative effort of ������ Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Crisis, Advocacy, Resources, Education and Support (CARES) Center, the Office of the Dean of Students, and Police Services intended to better educate university community members on how to assist distressed or disruptive individuals.

All campuses have a response guide specific to each location. The response guide assists campus members with recognizing behavioral signs and symptoms ranging from minimal risk to urgent situations requiring immediate assistance.

Assistant Dean of Students and the Director of the CARES Center Ericka Shoaff, says students that recognize their behavioral signs and require support are highly encouraged to reach out in any way they can.

“Having the option for mental health services on the homepage shows that we want this information to be seen. We want this information to be used by students along with the other great resources that you can find on that tab,” Shoaff said. “The more that we can increase awareness surrounding mental health and available resources, the more that we can work towards decreasing the stigma.”

Sexual and Relationship Violence and Support Services (SRVSS):

Another important feature of the campus safety tab is the use of Sexual and Relationship Violence and Support Services (SRVSS), which empowers those affected by power-based personal violence and educates the community about healthy relationships and bystander action.

SRVSS  Coordinator Yvette Roberts hopes for more students to be aware of the many resources available that SRVSS has to offer. 

“Kent State is very resource rich and seeks to increase safety measures, reduce health issues and stop food insecurity for all students,” Roberts said. “At SRVSS, we serve everyone and take part to prevent harm and keep our community safe.”

SRVSS is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Since students' problems and concerns can occur around the clock, Roberts said we need to make sure other services are available.

“Since the SRVSS office works limited hours, it would be beneficial to have other hotlines on the campus safety tab.” Three hotlines available after hours include , and.

These service hotlines offer support for those going through problems, relationship issues and relationship violence help. These services are to provide help, but if you are in immediate danger, dial 9-1-1.

Safety Assistants & Escort Services:

For almost 50 years, Kent State has offered and provided campus escort services to students to and from various academic and residential buildings. Kent State remains one of the safest campuses in Ohio, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics report, and is proud to continue to provide this safety initiative to ensure the students of their safety and wellbeing.

These services were established in 1973 to ensure students of their safety when walking at night to and from different locations throughout the campus from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Safety Assistants are student leaders within University Housing who are responsible for escorting students. Currently there are about 30 safety assistants, all of whom have conducted more than 100 hours of training on how to safely escort someone to their destination and support students facing mental wellness concerns and conflicts.

“Safety Assistants receive extensive training in many skill development areas, and even receive training on how to complete an escort – from how to greet students who request escorts, to “pocket question” conversation-starting ideas,” John Hummell, assistant director for Safety and Security said. “Safety Assistants strive to show up in a kind and compassionate way to escort students to and from various locations on campus.”

This fall semester, Safety Assistances completed 107 escorts. Usually, they average between 200-350 escorts a year, ensuring students of their safety.

“After each escort, we provide students who request escorts with a QR code to share their feedback with us,” Hummell said. “Although we’re working on improving our response rate, so far this semester, 100% of students indicated full satisfaction with their escort experience.”

Hummell said the office is working diligently to expand their hours of operation in hopes to become 24/7 beginning next school year.

All of these resources can be found in the campus safety drop-down tab on the university home page. 
For more information on these services visit:

• /publicsafety/police-services

• /srvss

• /stepupspeakout

• /housing/safety-and-security